Explosive shell.



S. C. DAVIDSON. I

EXPLOSWE SHELL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18. 1916.

1,292,390. Patented Jan. 21,1919. FIG. y ya i SAMUEL CLELAND DAVIDSON, 0F BELFAST, IRELAND.

EXPLOSIVE SHELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Application filed October 18, 1916. Seri'al No. 126,434.

To G ail/072107771 2? mag concern: V '7 7' Be it known that I, SAMUEL CLELAND DAVIDSON, of Sirocco Engineering Works, Belfast, Ireland, manufacturer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Explosive Shells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ammunition adapted for short ranges, such as ordinarily pertain to trench warfare, for example, up to ranges of about 500 yards or less.

With projectiles, shells or bombs made of cast iron, when filled with high explosive, such as ammonal, it is found that the projectile shell or bomb on bursting is practically blown into dust, or such small portions, that the shrapnel effect, due to the flying parts, is reduced to a minimum, the greater part of the destructive effect in such cases being due to the shock of the explosion.-

In the herein described ammunition, the projectile or shell has been designed to employ, as the explosive, ordinary gun-powder, or other explosive of moderate strength (hereinafter included in the term gunpowder) in contradistinction to high explosives, such as ammona1,part of the objects of this invention being to insure that the fragmentation of the shell on bursting shall be in pieces of such dimensions as will act with shrapnel-like effect.

To this end I employ a cast iron shell, the interior of which is constructed with internal projections so arranged that they are comparatively weakly connected together by the outer surface of the shell, and the base of the shell is fitted with what (for brevity of description) is hereinafter referred to as the fuse plug, which consists of a disk-like collar with a central projection adapted to be screwed into a tapped hole in the base of the shell, and to centrally contain a time fuse inclosed within an openended metal fuse tube, one end of which is projected into the interior of the shell, while the other end communicates with the cartridge case containing the propellant charge, and said cartridge case may be detachably connected to the base of the fuse plug in any suitable way. The explosion of the propellant charge simultaneously projects said fuse plug and shell, and ignites the contignous end of the fuse, leaving the ear tridge case as a separate part in the gun, and, in order to prevent, or minimize any risk of flash passing from the explosion of the propellant charge between the tube and the hole in the fuse plug through which the tube passes, the lower end of the tube is expanded into said hole, and likewise to prevent any flash passing between the inclosing tube and the fuse itself, theupper end' of the tube is crimped or corrugated in upon the insulated cover of the fuse itself. These last mentioned features of the fuse tube are intended to be included under the aboveprongs with gaps between them projecting y from the base of the fuse plug, asshown at 9 Figs. 1, 2, 2 4 and 5, said series of prongs being arranged to fit tightly either within the inner or around the outer circumference of said cartridge case when same is pushed into close contact with the base of the fuse plug, whereby a close fitting but detachable conncction'between them is obtained, which upon explosion of the propellant charge immediately breaks said connection, and the cartridge case and fuse plug separate which allows the gases from the explosion to pass into the air space between the outer circumference of the body of the cartridge case, and the inner surface of the gun barrel, so that a predetermined average pressure over the entire base of the shell is thereincreated according to the volumetric area of said air space, which can be made larger for a lower pressure, or smaller for a higher pressure, byincreasing or diminishing the diameter of the body of the shell.

It is, however, desirable in some cases that a portion of the gases should be allowed to escape into said exterior space around the cartridge case before the shell itself begins to move, and accordingly the gaps between the prongs of the fuse plu may be slightly recessed. into the base of t efuse plug, u

plug and cartridge case to illustrate the construction referred to in my hereinbefore second described modification.

Fig. 7 is an inverted plan of the fuse plug shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of fuse plug and cartridge case, showing a further arrangement of the hereinbefore second described modification.

Fig. 9 is an inverted plan of the fuse plug shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section of the fuse plug and cartridge case, to illustrate the con-, struction referred to in my hereinbefore third described modification.

The letters indicating the various component parts are the same in each figure, and are as follows a is the cast iron body of the projectile or shell which is provided on the outer circumference with .two machine turned parts marked a which are of such diameter that they constitute a free slidin fit within the barrel of the gun. I) b in icate a series of longitudinal ridges within the shell of approximately triangular section with V- shaped depressions marked 0 0 thus forming pyramid-like projections Within the shell. The projections in one row are preferably staggered with regard to those in the next row, and as shown in Fig. 3, which is a cross-section of the shell-the faces of the projections form a multi-pointed star. The shell itself is of the usual projectile shape externally, and is provided with a nose orifice d adapted to permit of the explosive powder being filled into the interior of the shell,-the orifice being then closed with a screw plug 2. g is the fuse plug which screws into the base of the shell, having a collar-like flange at its base with an annular series of prongs, or a cylindrical jointing sleeve 9' extending toward the cartridge case, with gaps g slotted across so as to form prongs 9 g, Fig. 2*, are slots cut across the terminal end of the cartridge instead of being recessed between the prongs into the base of the fuse plug 9. h is a time fuse inclosed in a tube it with the end of the tube toward the cartridge case expanded or otherwise secured. so as to make a flash tight joint with the fuse plug 9, and the inner length of the tube h projects into the explosive powder contained within the body of the shell a and the tube It is so indented or corrugated into the insulating cover of the fuse itself, as to hold it firmly against the propulsive force of the propellant explosion, and prevent any flash passing between the fuse and inclos'ing tube directly to the explosive charge. The fuse itself is of suitable length to burn for the required number of seconds before reaching the explosive charge within the shell. 2' is a carto tridge case containing the propellant charge.

j. k is a wad, preferably made of sheet metal, on top of the propellant charge j, with a hole below which a thin paper wad is placed innnediately on top of the powder, so that when the propellant charge explodes, it bursts the paper through the hole in the metal wad, so that the flash can thus freely reach and ignite the base end of the time fuse. Z is a paper tube fitted inside of jointingsleeve, and cartridge case, Fig. 6, and inside of jointing sleeve only, Fig. 8. Z, Fig. 10, is an alternative arrangement of paper tube fittinginside of cartridge case 2', and covering over the series of holes 2" around the circumference of the cartridge case 2'. m is a percussion ea in the base of the cartridge case for ignitmg the propellant charge. In use the explosion of the propellant charge 3' is effected by detonation of the percussion cap m in the base of the cartridge case 2'.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In ammunition for guns adapted for use for short ranges in which ordinary gunpowder or other explosive of moderate strength can be employed for both propulsion and bursting charges, a projectile, a bursting charge disposed in said projectile, a fuse plug disposed in the base of the projectile, a fuse tube disposed in a hole in the fuse plug, a fuse in said fuse tube adapted to be lighted by the explosion of the propellant charge, a cartridge case of smaller diameter than the base of the projectile, means for attaching the projectile to the cartridge case so that it can be readily detached, a firing charge disposed in the cartridge case, means for firing the firing charge, said fuse having a gas-tight connection with the sides of the fuse tube, whereby to prevent flash from the firing charge passing between the fuse and the fuse tube, said fuse tube having a gas-tight connection with the fuse plug whereby to prevent the said flash from assing between the fuse tube and the said fuse plug, and means for permitting the gases from the explosion of the pr pellant charge to escape into the annular space around the cartridge case as the projectile is forced away from the cartridge.

2. In ammunition for guns according to claim 1, the means for attaching the projectile to the cartridge case comprising an annular series of prongs having gaps between the prongs adapted to provide premature escape vents.

3. Ammunition for guns according to claim 2, comprising means forlclosing the premature escape vents with a substance which will be destroyed under predetermined conditions.

4:. Ammunition for guns according to claim 1, the projectile having its interior constructed with internal pyramiddihe pro 

